News Briefs

New Rocky Film to Feature Undocumented Boxer

In an interview with the Variety, Sylvester Stallone revealed that he and producer Irwin Winkler are developing a new Rocky film that will feature a storyline in which Rocky Balboa mentors a young streetfighter, who is an undocumented immigrant residing in the U.S. that has the makings of a champion boxer. Stallone will star and direct the proposed film. If the young streetfighter is an undocumented young man it stands to reason that he would be a Latino since professional boxing is dominated by Latino fighters and Rocky previously mentored an African-American fighter in Creed and Creed II. The original Oscar-winning Rocky film and its subsequent successful sequels catapulted the then-unknown Stallone, (who also wrote and starred) to stardom and made everyone associated with the films household names.

Perhaps the new Rocky film will make a star out of some yet unknown Latino actor much like it made stars out of Stallone and most recently Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther). The actor was possibly influenced by his experiences working on the new Rambo film, his other iconic character creation that he embodies.  In Rambo Five: Last Blood, he fights Mexican cartels and traffickers in order to rescue the daughter of an old friend.

The film which opens in theaters in September, taking advantage of Hispanic Heritage Month which celebrates all things, Latino. Rambo 5: Last Blood has a Latino cast that includes Yvette Monreal (Rambo: Last Blood), Paz Vega (The OA, Spanglish), Sergio Peris Mencheta (Resident Evil, After Life), Joaquin Cosio (Gentefied, Narcos: Mexico), Adriana Barraza (The 33, The Strain), and is directed by Mexican Adrian Grundberg (Narcos: Mexico, Narcos, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Apocalypto).

Latino Actors score Emmy Nominations

On July 16th, the coveted Emmy Awards nominations were announced and Academy award-winning actor, Benicio Del Toro, was nominated in the Best Actor in a Limited Series for his searing performance as the escaped convict Richard Matt in Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora. Ben Stiller directed this true-life drama.

Also nominated as Best Actor in a Limited Series is Dominican-American actor Jharrel Jerome for his performance as KoreyWise in director Ava Du Vernay’s When They See Us. The Netflix drama recounts the true story of five black and Latino youth who were falsely convicted of viciously attacking a white jogger in Central Park in 1989, better-known as.the infamous “Central Park Five” case.  John Leguizamo is nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his work as the devoted father of one of the youth, Raymond Santana Sr. in When They See Us. Voice-over actor Anthony Mendoza is nominated for Best narration for the PBS documentary series Wonders of Mexico.

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By Elia Esparza

Once again, Latino talent gets a pass or a snub from Hollywood’s colorblind industry. Ok, so I shouldn’t sound like sour grapes, I mean as I’m often reminded, “Be happy for the itty bitty blessings” that do come our way.

Ok, so here it goes. The 2019 EMMY Nominations were announced and the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will broadcast on Sunday, September 22nd, honoring the greatest TV achievements of the past year. The major awards are divided into separate categories for comedy and drama.

Outstanding Comedy Series contenders include Barry, Fleabag, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Russian Doll, Schitt’s Creek, and Veep.

Outstanding Drama Series include Better Call Sal, Bodyguard, Game of Thrones, Killing Eve, Ozark, Pose, Succession, and This Is Us.

In searching the Latinx nominated, as bleak as it has always been for Latinos working in film or television, I was thrilled to have found a few names.

In the Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora was nominated along with Mahershala Ali, True Detective, Huge Grant, A Very English Scandal, Jared Harris, Chernobyl, Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us, and Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon.

Then I came across John Leguizamo, When They See Us nominated in the Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

Way down in the Outstanding Narrator Category, I almost did a summersault when I see Anthony Mendez‘s name! He’s nominated for his work on the PBS docuseries, Wonders of Mexico. You all know him… that distinctive voice that pops into Jane The Virgin’s shows.

I would be remiss not to mention that the Steven Canals’ series Pose (nominated this year) has many Latinos worth mentioning– Jason A Rodriguez, David Granados, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Bianca Castro, Alexia Garcia, and Angel Bismark Curiel.

Where are the Latinas? Talented mujeres like Jennifer Lopez, Gina Rodriguez, America Ferrera, Justina Machado, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, and the women from Vida, Pose, One Day At A Time, and Orange Is The New Black. It is beyond unforgiving that these super-talented women are snubbed!

Being an optimist always seeing the glass half-full, maybe next year it will be the year of the TV Latinas! These women made a boatload of money for the networks, they deserve Primetime EMMY nominations!

For the complete list of 2019 EMMY Nominations, CLICK HERE

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